Renewed Hope for Hockey in Arizona: Mat Ishbia Eyes NHL Return
By the end of the 2023-24 season, Arizona will bid farewell to its NHL team, the Coyotes, as they relocate to Salt Lake City. While the move signifies change for the team, Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia is eager to make sure that it doesn’t mark the end of professional hockey in Arizona.
The Coyotes' departure brings an end to their tumultuous tenure in Arizona, which most recently saw them playing home games at the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on Arizona State's campus in Tempe from 2022 to 2024. Earlier this year, Alex Meruelo sold the team for a staggering $1.2 billion, setting the stage for their transformation into the Utah Hockey Club and their subsequent inaugural season in Salt Lake City in 2025-26.
Despite the setback, Ishbia remains optimistic and deeply committed to the Arizona sports community. "I'm definitely going to be part of the community, and if I can help bring hockey back, I'll look at that. It's definitely something I'm interested in. It's a four-sport town. I'm disappointed we don't have a hockey team, but I understand what happened, and we're going to try to fix that one day," Ishbia told Sportico, hinting at his ambitious plans to revive NHL hockey in Arizona.
As the current owner of both the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, Ishbia is no stranger to investing in and enhancing the region's sports infrastructure. The Footprint Center, a state-of-the-art facility that houses the Phoenix Mercury, recently played host to the WNBA All-Star Game. Further solidifying his commitment to top-tier sports, Ishbia oversaw the construction of a $100 million women's practice facility, conveniently located behind the Footprint Center.
In speaking about the Footprint Center, Ishbia remarked, "I think our arena is first-class right now. I love our arena. But at some point we're going to have to get a new arena." His vision for the future underscores a clear belief in continually enhancing the quality of facilities, ensuring that Phoenix remains a premier destination for sports fans and professional athletes alike.
The Phoenix Suns and Mercury have thrived under Ishbia's stewardship, suggesting a promising potential should he succeed in bringing an NHL team back to the area. A new professional hockey team could benefit from leveraging the lessons learned from the Coyotes' tenure while tapping into a devoted fan base eager to rally behind a local hockey franchise once more.
While the Coyotes prepare for their new chapter in Salt Lake City, the Arizona sports community, driven by the indomitable spirit of figures like Ishbia, looks forward to the possibility of rekindling the flames of NHL hockey in the desert. The end of one era often heralds the dawn of another, and Ishbia's enthusiasm and dedication to reviving hockey in Arizona illuminate a potential pathway towards a vibrant future for the sport in the region.